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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23876881">have a drink, my love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/notbad/pseuds/notbad'>notbad</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Not Beta Read, Past Torture, Posion Study AU, Snippets, Suicidal Ideation, Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:20:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23876881</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/notbad/pseuds/notbad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div class="center">
  <p> </p>
  <p>    <i>Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...</i></p>
</div><hr/><p>Imprisoned for a year for the murder of his benefactor’s son, Eren is a shell of his old self. Accepting his fate, he walks into what he thinks is his execution. Instead he is offered a choice by Levi, the head of the Survey Corps’ intelligence network: Be executed or become the new food tester for Commander Erwin Smith.</p><p>[in other words, a Poison Study AU]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Levi/Eren Yeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>have a drink, my love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><b>Before you read</b> keep in mind that this is an unbeta'd snippet for a longfic that I wrote before ultimately deciding to throw the whole thing away. Don't fret, I am currently re-plotting the whole fic. I didn't want what I had started to write to go to waste. </p><p>(I am juggling many other fics &amp; life so don't expect it for a while)</p><p>Oh and mild <b>spoilers</b> for the book 'Poison Study' by Maria V. Snyder.</p><hr/><p><b>Specific Content Warnings for this chapter:</b> depictions of torture/ child abuse, suicidal ideation, and implied abuse and sexual assault (not done by Levi to Eren vice versa).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Most of the prisoners at the Military Police’s headquarters didn’t stay longer than a couple months before they swung. Eren wished he was so lucky.</p><p>Claims of innocence screamed, sob heard from the piles of hay where they lie—the closest thing they would get to a bed for the few weeks of life they had left, the clank of trays of slop being thrown into cells and eaten, rats scurrying; hoping for their next meal in the form of a prisoner. These moments were to be savored. The alternative being deathly silence in the pitch black cell, with nothing but your mind to keep you company. Eren’s  mind was not pleasant company.  </p><p>Eren took a deep breath and the smell of burning flesh surround him. He knew it wasn’t real, but trying not to gag, he put his hands to his face, covering his nose, and violently shut his eyes. The smell still burned in his nostrils. The smell of dead rats and vomit was preferred to this. He hit the back of his head into the damp cement floor he was lying on, back arching slightly. The new pain in the back of his head wasn’t enough to prevent the memories from flooding in.</p><p>
  <em>“Tell me, Eren.” A gruff voice commanded. His mind was so felt so blurred that Eren couldn’t tell which of the Dawk’s it belonged to.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A child no older than eight sat directly in front of Eren. He was another child at the orphanage, like Eren, that he used to see wandering around. Cyrus? Was that his name? They mirrored each other. Both tied to a chair, an arm held out over a flame slowly burring their flesh. If it wasn’t for the cloth tied around their mouths, Cyrus's almost inhuman sobbing would’ve been heard from miles away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tears pricked Eren’s eyes, threatening to fall. Steam was already emanating from his arm, but it was still just as painful. His arm was in a seemingly never ending process of trying to heal. Cyrus’s arm however, much to the Dawks’ disappointment, only continued to char. He knew it was naught, but he still struggled against his bonds.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Father, perhaps he needs further motivation? Raise the stakes.” Said a voice, younger the first and filled with bloodlust. Róhán.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The threat of the child only losing an arm might not have been enough to motivate a monster like this.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Anger and fear filled Eren’s veins, and a pained whine escaped his throat, already raw from his earlier screaming. A knife unsheathed, and Cryus’s sobbing loudened. Eren furiously shook his head, and closed his eyes. He had no idea what they wanted, but he knew their patience was draining. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cyrus. Cyrus. Cyrus. Cyrus. Cyrus. Cyrus. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eren repeated his name like a mantra, just as they had told him to do. He couldn’t lose another one. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Moments passed, and he could hear the Dawks yelling at him and then—</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“ǝıp oʇ ʇuɐʍ ʇ’uop I” Echoed in Eren’s mind, in a voice that was not his own and words that he did not recognize. He slowly opened his eyes and saw not Cyrus, but himself.</em>
</p><p>A clang on his cell door rang throughout the dungeon, saving him from continuing his nightmare. The horrible smell dissipated, and Eren could feel his muscles relax. He was once again reminded that as bad as the dark pit that was his cell was or how terrible the guards treated him, it was nothing compared to the horrors of Nile Dawk’s orphanage. At least it would be all over once the Military Police dealt with whatever the fuck was delaying his execution and he’d be in the sweet arms of death.</p><p>He could hear murmuring of voices outside his cell door. It was too many voices for them to just be here to give him his breakfast. Not particularity interested in whatever they had planned for him, he continued to lie on the floor. It’s not uncommon for the dungeons guards to take their frustrations out on the prisoners. He would sometimes hear it happening to other prisoners; usually the newer ones. After they saw the grime and dirt that had made a home on his body that made rats look clean in comparison, and saw the look in his eyes, most of them quickly became disinterested in trying to mess with him. Well, apparently not all of them.</p><p>“Tsk, is this mutt that we’re looking for? What the hell was that shit he was saying?” said a mans voice that didn’t belong to the usual guards that came down here. Erens interest peaked at the prospect that someone was looking for him.</p><p>“Auruo,” replied a woman, clearly annoyed. “This is not the time for one of your impressions.”</p><p>Eren eyes stung as he opened them, still getting used to the brightness from the torches that the figures in front of his cell carried. From his spot on the floor he could make out the mystery guards features just barely. Two of them wore a green cloak their shoulders—A rare sight for someone to bother wearing down here. The other guard that recognized as the woman who usually brought him his meals. Well, more accurately, she would throw his meals through the iron bars in his cell. Forcing him to eat his meals off the floor.</p><p>He stared at the three figures blankly. The man in the green cloak that he figured was Auruo, peered down at Eren with a look of disgust that made creases in is already wrinkled face. The woman with the green coat, stood next to him and held a torch that illuminated her strawberry blond hair.</p><p>The dungeon Guard grunted in agreement, and started unlocking his cell door. As Auruo started to move forward to open the door, chains in hand, the guard put her hand and on his chest to stop him.</p><p>“Careful, this one’s not right in the head” she warned.</p><p>Auruo looked a little hesitant for a second, then tried to mask it with his usual fake bravado. While he thought he hadn’t done anything to deserve it, Eren was infamous among the dungeon guards. He would sometimes hear them whisper about how creepy they found him. His complete silence when he was awake no matter the situation, the unnerving look in his eyes, the things he would whisper when he was having a nightmare.</p><p>“Like a brat like this could hurt me.” Auruo said.</p><p>“Try anything mutt, and we’ll get the whip” The dungeon guard said, her hand gripping a cloth, intend to be a muzzle for him. “If we’re lucky, today's the day you hang.”</p><p>Finally, Eren thought. Not showing his relief, he stood up to leave. He could seem them freeze as he moved, as if he could hurt them though the bars that separated them. The amount of time that he had been imprisoned was fuzzy. All the days started to blur together soon after the first couple weeks. What would be the point in trying to escape now.</p><p>After a moment, the guard finally opened the cell door. The woman with strawberry blond hair’s hands hovered over the weapon on her side. Eren resisted the urge to roll his eyes. After they realized that he had no intention of doing anything they finally put the cloth around his mouth, and attached a chain to the collar around his neck. Pulling the chain, the guard dragged him out of his cell causing him to almost trip.</p><p>As they walked through the dungeon halls Eren waddled barefoot though the muck that was all over the floors, not used to moving his legs this much. As he was tugged down the dungeon, ignoring the moans and taunts from the other prisoners, Auruo’s cloaks caught his eye. A large insignia on the back; two wings crossed, one white and one black. The Survey Corps. What business would they have with the Military Police, let alone one of their prisoners, Eren did not know.</p><p><em>Maybe they were friends of Róhán</em>, he thought and grimaced.</p><p>He’d  remembered seeing a Survey Corps solider visit the manor that served as the Dawk’s home and orphanage. Nile made his distaste for the Survey Corps clear, but on days when Nile was gone, his son Róhán would sometimes discreetly bring one of them over. Considering the effort he put in hiding the soldier from his father, none of the children wanted to test either of the Dawks’ tempers. Most of the orphans figured that  the soldier was one of Róhán’s lovers.</p><p>Eren doubted that someone would have the patience to deal with courting him. Though Eren spent most of his time avoiding the him all together. The thought of being around him, let alone investigate his personal affairs, was enough to make his stomach turn.</p><p>The admiration that he had felt for the Survey Corps when he was younger had dissipated, but Eren couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. He used to see them as renegades. Those willing to do what no one else would. Before he was adopted, he’d even make his mother take him to see some of them participate in the seasonal festivals. Though it was usually to see one of them in particular…  </p><p>His feet scraped on the hard stone stairs, and he struggled to stay upright. After trudging up what felt like forever the spiral stairs led to a metal door. Eren fell, face first onto the floor, as Auruo shoved him into the into the hall that the doors led to. His hand cuffed, he tried to pull himself up only to fall to his knees. Months of starvation and limited water did that to you, he supposed.</p><p>“You don’t need to be so rough with him.” The survey corps woman huffed. He heard  Auruo start to speak, but the woman must’ve made a face that shut him up. She sighed and carefully grabbed Eren’s arm and helped him up. Fear was still in her eyes, but it was overshadowed by pity. How pathetic he must’ve looked. He preferred when she was afraid of him.</p><p>Eren suddenly choked as the dungeon guard once again pulled him by the collar and tugged him through the halls of the Military Police headquarters. His eyes burned as he squinted his eyes from the light emanating from the windows.  It was a most beautiful sight.</p><p>They opened the door that lead to a room that looked it was usually used for meetings.</p><p>It had a long round table and seated at the end of it was two men. The older one, adjusted his round glasses that framed his sunken eyes. Dhalis Zachary, the man who had oversaw the original questioning that Eren went though a year ago. Other than a confession, he hadn’t gotten much out of Eren. There was no point in telling anything more; either way he was going to die and at least he would be the only one punished. Eren just wished that he could’ve helped the other children at the orphanage and the staff.</p><p>Annie…Bertholdt…Eren hoped they were safe.</p><p>The other man seated at the tables steel eyes bore into him, and despite his stoic face, it felt as if he could feel the judgment radiating from the man. Jet short black hair framed his admittedly handsome face. The man looked immaculate. Eren could see that the man was also wore an identical cravat to the Corps member that had escorted him here. He briefly wondered if it was apart of the uniforms, and glanced at the Survey Corps woman. No cravat in sight. Huh.</p><p>Eren suddenly felt self cautious of his current appearance, itching his bug-bite ridden hand. He hadn’t gotten a good look at himself in a long while, so he could only imagine how disgusting he looked. Prison life hadn’t given him much opportunity to keep up appearances. Bathing wasn’t exactly a priority when you only had enough water to drink. Not that it mattered much considering how he was going to be dead soon.</p><p>The guard cautiously removed the chain attached to his collar, and the cloth over his mouth. Eren stood still for a moment, and looking annoyed Zachary motioned to a chair. He thought about staying standing just to annoy him further, but the look steel eyed man gave him, made him decide against it and quickly sit in the chair. Zachary shuffled the folder on the table, and sighed as he opened it.</p><p>“Eren, today might be your lucky day,” he said.</p><p>“You’ve been accused of murdering General Nile Dawks only son, Róhán. He was found in the bedroom in his manor with multiple stab wounds and you there, covered in his blood.“</p><p>The other man interrupted Zachary saying “Let me guess, you were framed or you killed in self-defense.”</p><p>“He already—” Zachary started to say.</p><p>“No, sir,” Eren said, voice hoarse and the words sounding a little off after not speaking for so long. He had no regrets for what he did, and there was no point in pretending otherwise. “I killed him.”</p><p>The man’s steel eyes gleamed; the first time he remotely showed any real interest in the conversation.</p><p>“Oh? Not bad.” He said.</p><p>“Leave us, I’ll take responsibility for him,” the dark-haired man said with a wave of his hand, not taking his eyes off Eren. Zachary sighed as he got up and handed the file over to him. Auruo looked as he was about to protest but was tugged away by the woman who accompanied him. The door shut leaving just the two of them.</p><p>“Eren, I’m offering you a choice. You can either be executed, or you can be Commander Erwin’s new food taster. His last taster died recently, and we need to fill the position—”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Silence filled the room. Death was something that Eren had resigned to the moment he picked up that knife a year ago. Months of suffering in that cell, and now he was offered hope again?  </p><p>The man sighs, and says “I understand that you’ve probably accepted death already. You’re free to not take this position. I get it. It’s a shit gig. At least with an execution you’d know exactly when you’re going to die, rather than guess if it’s going to come with the next bite. But with uncertainty comes opportunity.”</p><p>“Find another.”</p><p>“Oh, you think it’s that simple? ” Levi says while pushing himself out of his chair. He walks past Eren and strides towards the door. “Considering how far your head is up your ass, I can see that there is no changing your mind. I guess I’m telling Erwin his shitty food is going to be cold for a while.” Levi says the last part more for himself.</p><p>Seeing the confusion in Eren’s face, he clarifies “I am the only one who can taste test currently. Being the head of the Survey Corps’ intelligence network, or whatever the fuck they call me, leaves me little time to do something like testing the Commanders food every time he eats.</p><p>
  <em>The head of the Survey Corps’ intelligence network?</em>
</p><p>“Wait, you’re <em>Levi</em>?” Eren choked out. Out of all the Survey Corps members, Levi was the one he had admired the most. He’s even partly why Eren wanted to join the Survey Corps when he was younger. If he accepts, his younger self might get his wish, though not in the way he imagined.</p><p>“Hmph, is that your way of saying you want to hear what I have to say?” Levi asked rhetorically.</p><p>Taking Erens silence as a yes, Levi started “It’s a lifetime position. Training can be lethal. After all, how can you identify poisons in the Commander’s food if you don’t know what they taste like? You’ll get a room in the castle to sleep, but most of day you’ll be with the Commander. No days off. No partners or children.”</p><p>“So, what do you say? Are you still itching to die today, or will you take the opportunity only a fool would pass up? ”</p><p>“I am no fool.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The complete fic will have a similar premise to what is written above, but much more thought out. Characters will have different roles and better characterization. There will be less reliance on the book it’s based off of and scenes in canon.</p><p>Feel free to let me know about any mistakes! If you're interested in beta reading my fics you can dm me <a href="https://twitter.com/erenstitties">@erenstitties</a> on twitter (lmfao) &amp; <a href="https://bloodlied.tumblr.com/">@bloodlied</a> on tumblr.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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